02/02/2026
One of the greatest barriers to the acceptance of psychotherapies that stimulate acupuncture points by tapping on them, such as EFT and TFT, has been a persistent question: How does tapping on the skin lead to psychological change?
For decades, practitioners have known that therapies and self-help approaches involving tapping on acupuncture points are unusually fast and effective, but articulating a clear, science-based explanation has been more challenging. Over the past two decades, researchers such as Dawson Church, Peta Stapleton, and David Feinstein have steadily advanced the evidence base through peer-reviewed studies. In November 2025, David published a landmark synthesis of this research, offering the most coherent and comprehensive scientific account to date of the physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying EFT and TFT.
Recognising the importance of this work — and knowing that most practitioners don’t have time to read lengthy academic papers — Nick Ortner used AI to translate the research into a beautifully designed, 10-page illustrated infographic. David then reviewed the entire piece, making numerous corrections and refinements to ensure scientific accuracy.
It is perhaps the most engaging, accessible, and efficient way available to become conversant in the science behind tapping. The infographic can be easily viewed on a laptop or downloaded as a printable PDF. It also links to the original academic paper (bottom of page 1) and has an area at the end for posting questions. David will be checking in at least weekly as long as a discussion is going and happy to tackle any questions you present.
To see the infographic, click https://energytapping.com/how-tapping-works-infographic/
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